Evilena Protektore is an award-winning jazz singer and composer with a powerful voice, famous for her scatting technique. In 2016, Evilena received a Nic Gotham prize for her contribution to jazz music and jazz life in Latvia. Evilenas' latest original program, «Breath of Life», performed at VEF Jazz Club on January 30th, 2025, received high acclaim from music critics and was nominated for the Music category at the annual Kilograms Kultūras award presented by Latvian Television and Latvian Radio, and for Concert of the Year in an annual award ceremony Grand Music Award, the highest form of state recognition in the field of music.
Since 2018, Evilena has also worked at the Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theater as a vocal coach, arranger, composer, and guest artist. Several shows in which she participated, in various roles, both as a composer and as a singer, received nominations at «Spēlmaņu Nakts», an annual theatre awards ceremony.
full bio
YOU LOVED ME THEN reflects composer David Harris’ musical journey, from his first experiences with classical, to encounters with psychedelic rock and discoveries of jazz legends. With the help of renowned pianist Paul English and a cadre of exceptional jazz talents, Harris brings some of his favorites to life on this Big Round Records release.
Today, David is our featured artist in “The Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers. Read on to learn about his expertise in the world of wealth management and thoughts on the artists that move him the most…
Jazz musicians, classical string quartet, brass section and electronical effects of a DJ - this is not a random musicians order, but the whole process that makes a special world out of sounds and remakes it within every second.
The band is founded by Artjoms Sarvi - MA in jazz in Latvian Music Academy, one of the most talented jazz piano players, and Evilena Protektore - jazz singer, MA in jazz in Latvian Music Academy, Grand Prix in Jazz Voices 2014, composer and leader of «Pieneņu Vīns». In the program called «Colors of Summer» they will demonstrate their view on what colors the summer has and guide the listener through their deep inner world of music.
Krists Saržants’ debut album «Then and Now» is a compilation album of 11 re-orchestrated original compositions and arrangements mainly for jazz quintet with string quartet, horn section, percussion, composed and arranged over the years by Krists. In the album you can hear such musicians as Evilena Protektore, Dāvis Jurka, Andris Grunte, Matias Fischer-Mogensen, Ieva Kerēvica, Laura Grecka, Mārcis Auziņš and others.
The album comes with a book with reflections about each composition and with photos of recording sessions by Vadim Kozhin.
«Pieneņu Vīns» is a Latvian band, born in 2005, playing original compositions in funk / fusion. The band has participated in numerous local and international contests and festivals and is recognised for its friendly concert atmosphere and creative digital projects.
In April of 2016 «Pieneņu Vīns» has launched its debut album called ROADS TAKEN, featuring the best and most loved by the audience compositions from all 11 years of the band's experience on the stages of Baltic countries and abroad.
Very Cool People is a jazz-funk band originated in Riga, Latvia in 2007. With a backbone in jazz, funk and soul, incorporating influences from surf, klezmer, rock and hip-hop, Very Cool People is creating modern, complicated and listenable music for a wide audience. The band using contemporary tools is trying to put jazz & funk back to dancefloor and make it more accessible to ordinary, nowadays persons.
«Caution! Contains Words» album is a pretty eclectic work from the stylistics point of view. (c) Deniss Pashkevich. Evilena sings two songs in this album: «This Mess» and «Roll With It».
«Funkology», recorded in 2015, does not merely reproduce the genre’s structures in flat compositions, but passionately and energetically reinterprets the standards of Parliament-Funkadelic, The Meters, Stevie Wonder, Tower of Power, Curtis Mayfield and James Brown. Funkology compiles the best of the six tribute concerts the band Very Cool People dedicated to the giants of groove.
In this album Evilena sings the songs of «Parliament-Funkadelic» and is the opening act with three tunes: «Give Up The Funk», «Hit It & Quit It» and «You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks».
